7.1. The Rules of Engagement

Throughout this book I've said
the same thing over and over again: You are entitled to create MP3
copies of the music you own for your own personal use. You are not
entitled to make accessible digital copies of music to which you do
not hold the copyright. While the ramifications of this are fairly
clear (i.e., you can't just copy tracks from a CD and put them
on your web site), there's a whole lot of misinformation
floating around out there, and many people believe there are numerous
exceptions to this rule. Let's try and set some of these common
misconceptions straight. Some of the content in this section is
paraphrased from the "Top 10 Myths" section of the
RIAA's ancillary web site, http://www.soundbyting.com. Please see that site for
the recording industry's perspective on artist and consumer
rights in the digital arena.

Everything in this section may seem like small potatoes to you. It
may seem trivial and unimportant. You may think that your personal
activities are too small and insignificant to be noticed. While that
may be true, remember that if you are caught, copyright violation
that involves more than 10 copies and a value exceeding $2,500 is
a felony in the United States. OK, chances are
pretty slim that you'll go to jail over it. Very few people
ever see anything but a cease-and-desist letter, or have the plug
pulled on them by their service provider. But it's important to
realize the potential gravity of what you're dealing with here.